Cross lighter for a gas burner assembly



June 4, 1963 E. G. PHLAUM CROSS LIGHTER FOR A GAS BURNER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 6, 1959 INVENTOR. EDWARD G- PHLAUM OYffornegs E. G. PHLAUM CROSS LIGHTER FOR A GAS BURNER ASSEMBLY June 4 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1959 INV ENTOR. Emmen G- PHLAUM United States Patent O 3,092,168 CROSS LIGHTER FOR A GAS BURNER ASSEMBLY Edward G. Phlaum, Kankakee, Ill., assiguor to A. 0. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of New York Filed Ang. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 832,106 3 Claims. (Cl. 158-115) invention relates to la gas burner assembly and more particularly to a cross lighter for la gas burner assembly.

In la multiple :gas burner assembly in which a series of elongated gas burners ,are mounted in parallel relation, a single pilot burner is employed and a cross lighter is used to distribute the flame to each burner in the series.

Each gas burner is provided with an inlet at one end which is connected to a gas manifold and is provided with an elongated Aoutlet located in the upper portion of the burner. A `cross lighter is secured to the upper surface of each burner inwardly adjacent the gas outlet and serves to project the llame toward the outlet to thereby ignite the #gas :at =the burner outlet.

According to the invention, the cross lighter is disposed normally to the axis of the burner and the ends of the cross lighter project laterally beyond fthe sides of the burner. 'Ihe cross lighter has la generally box-shape cross section with open ends `and the lopen ends of each cross lighter vare disposed in alignment with the open ends of the cross lighters of the adjacent burners to provide, in effeet, sa 'continuous cross lighting strip. An opening is provided in the lower surface of each cross lighter which communicates with .the interior of 'the :burner and permits gas from .the burner to pass upwardly into the cross lighter.

In addition, a baille is disposed within the burner and serves to 4direct the gas toward the opening leading to the cross lighter.

Each cross lighter is provided with a slot which faces the burner outlet and a corrugated strip is :disposed within the slot. The corrugated strip serves to maintain the spacing of the slot in the cross lighter and provide a sharp llame which is projected toward the burner outlet.

With the use of the present invention, a single standard size cross lighter is employed, regardless of the output of the burner assembly. For example, the output of a gas burner unit or iurnace can be varied by changing the number of burners in fthe unit. As the cross lighter of the invention is attached to each burner, a standard size cross lighter is employed, regardless of the number of burners used. As the cross lighters are disposed in endto-end relation, in' elect, la continuous cross lighter is provided which extends completely across the burners in the series.

As each cross lighter is separate from the remaining cross lighters in the series, there is no excessive contraction and expansion of the cross lighter during heating and cooling periods. Thus, warpage and stress of the metal is substantially reduced.

The corrugated strip, which is employed in the slot in the cross lighter, serves lto hold a short :and hard llame and `directs the ame toward the burner outlet and away from the heat exchanger which is disposed upwardly of the burner.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the burner assembly;

HG. 2 is a top plan view with parts broken away in section of a single burner;

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FIG. 3 is side elevation of the burner of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is :an enlarged end view of the cross lighter;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is side elevation of the cross lighter taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is la transverse section' of the burner taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is an end view off the burner showing the shutter plate.

The drawings illustrate a gas burner assembly including a plurality of elongated sheet metal burners 1 which are secured in generally parallel relation to a support bar 2. Gas is supplied to each of the burners 1 through a manifold 3. A pilot burner unit 4 is employed to -ignite the gas at one of the burners and cross lighters 5 serve to distribute the llame to the adjacent burners in the series.

Eachvof the burners 1 is composed of two sheet metal halves 6 which are provided with vertical lian-ges 7 secured together by welding. The inner end of the burner is enclosed by an adjustable shutter plate 8 having a series of openings to admit air to the burner. Gas is supplied to the burner through a conduit 9 which connects the manifold 3 and -the shutter plate 8. A spud 10 is threadedly disposed within the conduit 9 and controls the rate of ilow of gas into the burner.

Each burner 1 is also provided with an elongated outlet slot 11. The outlet 11 is subdivided into a plurality of small orices or openings by a ribbon insert which includes a pair of side strips 12 and a central strip 13. A pair of corrugated strips 14 are disposed between the side strips 12 and the central strip 13 and the gas is discharged from the interior of the burner between the corrugations in strip 14. The strips 12, 13 and 14 are secured Within the slot by a plurality of sheet metal clips 15.

Each cross li-ghter 5 is secured to the respective burner 1 by means of a :generally L-shaped bracket 16. One end of the bracket 16 is welded to the upper surface of the burner and the lower end 17 of the bracket extends downwardly within the interior of the burner.

The cross lighter is secured .to the bracket 16 by a screw 18 which extends through the cross lighter and is secured into the bracket.

The cross lighters 5 are disposed generally normal to the axes of the burners and the ends of the cross lighters project laterally beyond the sides of the respective burner. The ends of the cross lighter are disposed in alignment so that, in eiect, a continuous cross lighter is ,provided across the entire burner assembly.

Each cross lighter comprises an upper member 19 and a lower member 20 which are provided with both side and end flanges. As best shown in FIG. 4, the side anges 21 of the members 19 and 20 are disposed in overlapping relation at the rear or inner edge of the cross lighter and are welded in the overlapping position. The side lianges at the forward edge of the cross lighter are spaced apart to provide a slot 22 which faces toward the outlet opening 11 of the burner. In addition, the flanges 23 at the ends of the members 18 and 19 are spaced apart to provide openings 24 which are disposed in alignment with corresponding openings of the adjacent cross lighters.

To reinforce the cross lighter, the upper member 19 is provided with a series of inwardly projecting dimples 25 which are disposed in alignment with corresponding dimples 26 formed in the lower member 20. 'I'he dimples are welded together to provide rigidity for the cross lighter.

The lower member 20 of the cross lighter is also provided with an opening 27 which is disposed in alignment with openings in the bracket 16 and burner 1 and thereby 3 provides communication between the interior of the burner and the cross lighter so that gas can ow upwardly into the cross lighter. The lower end 17 of the bracket 16 serves as a baille and directs the incoming gas upwardly through the opening 27 into the cross lighter.

A corrugated strip 28 is disposed within the slot 22 and extends substantially the entire length of the cross lighter. The 'stri-p 28 divides the slot 22 into a series of small openings so that the flame from the cross lighter can be directed outwardly through openings dened by the adjacent the strip. v

The gas is ignited by a pilot burner 30 which is "secured to a pilotburner bracket 31 attached to one of the burners in the series. The pilot burner is connected to a gas line -32 and the llame of the pilot light plays upon a thermocouple33 which is connected to the safety shutoff valve in a conventional manner.

In operation, the gas is admitted through manifold 3 Y to all of the burners in the series. The pilot light from pilot burner will ignite the gas at theV cross lighter located adjacent the pilot burner. The llame will then be propagated 'endwise across each of the crosslighters in the series and will be directed outwardly from the corrugated strips 28 toward the outlet openings 11 of the respective burners to thereby ignite the gas at each burner outlet 1,1. VThe cross lighter of the invention 'is capable of igniting the gas at each burner withra minimum gas input and is fabricated with a standard size to be used with. burner units of variousV outputs. This results in a substantial manufacturing savings in that only a single standard size of cross lighter is fabricated regardless of the number of burners that are employed in a given gas burner unit. As each of the cross lighters is separate and not attached to the adjacent cross lighters, expansion and contraction is minimized 'and this results in a decrease in the stresses in Vthe metal and also minimizes warpage of the burner unit.

Various modes Vof carrying out the invention are contemplated as .being within the Vscope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter lwhich is regarded as the invention. Y

I claim: ,Y v Y 1. A cross lighter'for a gas burner adapted to be assembled in parallel relation with a plurality of similar burners and said cross lighter disposed in end-to-end relation with the cross lighters of adjacent burners, said burner having a gas inlet and a gas outlet in the upper portion thereof, comprising an elongated housing having open ends and a generally rectangular cross section, said housing having an upper member and a lower member with each of said members being provided with side flanges, the correspond- Ving side anges of said upper and lower members being secured together along one side edge of the housing and lthe corresponding side anges of said members `being spaced apart along the other side edge of the housing to provide a slot therebetween, a series of` inwardly extending Iprojections disposed in said lower member, a second vseries of inwardly extending projections disposed in said upper member and disposed in alignment with said first series of projections of the lower member, means for securlng the aligned projections together, a corrugated strip disposed within the slot and engaging said projections,

said strip serving to divide the slot into a series of small openings kand said projections serving to align said Strip within said slot, means defining an opening in said lower member for admitting gas to said housing from the burner, and means for securing the corrugated strip within the slot.

2. InV a gas burner having discharge ports, a cross lighter compri-sing upper and lower channel members facing each other and havi-ng correspondingV anges along one side thereof closing the same and remaining correspon-ding side and fend `ilanges spaced in edge to edge relation to provide a. continuous slot serving as a gas discharge port therefor, gas supply means for lsaid cross lighter from the burner, projections extending internally of and inwardly -from one of lsaid channel members toward the other and welded thereto to secu-re said members together, and a baffle strip in the mouth of said slot and positioned against said projections to control the velocity and direction of flow from said slot.

3. The construction of claim 2 Ain which said gas supply meafns comprises an opening in the bottom channel member communicating directly with the `gas burner-v `ahead 'of the discharge ports of the burner, and a bale disposed in the burner 4to direct gas therefrom into said cross lighter.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,349 Mott Sept. 2,1913 1,682,148 Risinger Aug. 28, 1928 2,210,228 Beckett Aug. 6, 1940 2,443,101 Flynn et .al T- June 8, 1948 2,547,850 Brown f. Apr. 3, 1951 2,652,107 Y Hughes Sept. 15, 1953 2,670,790 Marble Mar. 2, 1954V 2,747,658 Wildeman May Y29,31956 2,875,820 Nesbitt Mar. 3, 1959 2,875,821 Allen Mar. 3, 1959 3,002,552 Grifn Oet. 3, 1961 

2. IN A GAS BURNER HAVING DISCHARGE PORTS, A CROSS LIGHTER COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER CHANNEL MEMBERS FACING EACH OTHER AND HAVING CORRESPONDING FLANGES ALONG ONE SIDE THEREOF CLOSING THE SAME AND REMAINING CORRESPONDING SIDE AND END FLANGES SPACED IN EDGE TO EDGE RELATION TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS SLOT SERVING AS A GAS DISCHARGE PORT THEREFOR, GAS SUPPLY MEANS FOR SAID CROSS LIGHTER FROM THE BURNER PROJECTIONS EXTENDING INTERNALLY OF AND INWARDLY FROM ONE OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS TOWARD THE OTHER AND 